Election Mall (based in the USA) were paid €149,435 by Fine Gael for publicity and advertising services.  In addition they spent €98,616 on Google and Facebook advertising. (Fine Gael spent €3,120,238 in total on the election.)

If you want to see what this amount of money gets you, Election Mall have made a video showing what they did! Remember the twolicy, the game, … the MSN advertising? (No i didn’t get the latter either).

Election Mall and Fine Gael are of course now no longer working together after the company refused to co-operate with a Data Protection Commission investigation into the hacking of the new website last January. The party were said to be seeking an Irish company to handle things online for them- any news on who has the gig now?

Ravi Singh continues to work on elections across the world and talk about himself and Obama even though he was never involved.  Election Mall have an office which is their European HQ in a temporary office suite in Dublin 2.

Fianna Fáil paid over €12,000 to their guru’s, Blue State Digital, in General Election 2011.  Have a look through the rest of the expense reports to see who else was paid for Democracy 2.0 in Election 2011.

Twitter is not a problem, the way twitter is used is one of the problems that faced Sean Gallagher on Monday night’s debate on RTE’s Frontline. However he was challenged by a member of the public in a way no member of the media seemed to be able to (or was let) do on his business practices. The following day he accused this woman of being a plant, she wasn’t. She went for him again. (It was very P Flynnish 1990).

Gallagher also used the words ‘recollection’ and ‘envelope’ (a Bertieism to go with ‘money resting’ in his account) on Monday night and he was reacted to by a live audience who didn’t believe him. Months of positivity aka not answering the question were ripped apart by McGuinness’s questions, Gallagher’s reaction and the audience hissing and deriding him. The tweet from a account – not a fake account but a twitter account that was assumed to be the official account? A small part of the story and indeed there were other people talking about a possible press conference before that tweet was read out.

The questions that were put to Gallagher both by McGuinness and Glenna Lynch concerned issues that were both published or in the hands of many members of the media. Gallagher knew they were out there and had some answers ready. In fact there were lots of questions about Gallagher that suddenly emerged as he raced into the lead in the polls. Rather than do any research on his background when he entered the race the media seemed not to pay much attention until it was getting warmer and then it was nearly too late. And even then they seemed to back off or didn’t have the info to go further. The media were warned about publishing things that they hadn’t published.

Debates are not places for that scrutiny. It was noticeable that Gallagher’s last media interviews in the scheduled roster of interviews on Today with Pat Kenny, the Last Word, Six One were all at the end of the campaign. The day after the Front Line Debate. Was the candidate leaving things to the last moment to keep avoiding things? Only to get filleted – at least by Pat Kenny (with Glenna) and Bryan Dobson after McGuinness had marinaded him?

When you are explaining you are losing and Gallagher lost. Because someone actually asked him questions and he either didn’t have the answers or attacked some questioners or avoided many many others. His voters who were not particularly loyal to him started to think. The RTE/Red C Recall poll showed that job creation was way down the list of reasons to vote for a candidate, honesty and integrity were the most important things. After all that visionary waffle the public wanted someone to mind the gaff and do a good job.

They changed their mind not because of a tweet. Blaming the machine and not the message is easy when you are losing. If Gallagher had won we’d have been hearing all about the role of social media in his victory which would have also been bullshit. Yet in days to come some in old media and some candidates will want twitter locked up, polls banned and all sorts of regulation because they can’t control them. Can’t control voters either though can you?

Tomorrow more about Michael D winning!

First up is Stand up and be Counted from Senator David Norris.

David Norris for President from Toastie Television Productions on Vimeo.

Sean Gallagher found time to make this video when he wasn’t looking for a charger for his phone so he could honour local radio commitments.

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Mary Davis battles with the traffic

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Michael D Higgins has a series of On the Road with Michael D Higgins videos out from his tour of the south and south east on Tuesday. Spot the car that stopped in the middle of the road looking for a handshake.

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Martin McGuinness launches a wrap up mainly from other videos used during the campaign with new words from him.

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The Foreign press are not getting the election they wanted but that does not stop them spinning stuff anyway.

Time Magazine

New York Times

Al Jazeera

The Irish Times are cranking up the video podcasts from their politics team and in this video Harry McGee analyses the debate.

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The Green Party have been busy asking questions of the candidates. Only 4 have replied so far. They invite you to make up your mind.

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Malachy Browne writes about Social Media in this election and shows how the Gallagher campaign have ‘harnessed’ it. More about this ad nauseum after polling day. Gurus a gogo.

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Eoin O’Dell writes about the Judicial Pay Referendum and why he will be voting no.

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Rotten BlueShirt (this is his own description before my favourite blueshirt teddybear commenter Jim Walsh FG arrives to mock me!) Paul Duggan guest blogs about the campaign and electile dysfunction. He wonders about Enda’s position as Taoiseach if Gay loses his deposit. Not on yer nelly Paul, safe as houses… oh just lets say safe so.

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I have been looking for some blogging politicians regarding the referenda and noticed that Cllr Catherine Connolly from Galway has written about her intentions.

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Referendumdumdums

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Tonight Senator David Norris is taking questions on Facebook video.

Here he thanks his supporters.

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No doubt there will be online campaigning by others when the moratorium kicks in. Sean Gallagher will be in a pub in Dundalk tomorrow night. Well that’s the plan until he changes it like he did his schedule yesterday. His facebook page was very quiet after the Six One news last night, nobody from his team answering questions, that’s interesting harnessing.

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Gay Mitchell’s Presidential Election Broadcast which might have got lost in the debate. Then this might not be a bad thing, I found it badly edited and it didn’t do Gay justice at all. (Bear with…) He was breathless, his hair was flying everywhere and the scene outside the GPO was mauled in the cutting room. Or was that artistic?

I look forward to Mitchell’s analysis of the campaign and his ideas on controlling social media – he started talking about this on the Newstalk debate on Monday. Locking up facebookers and tweeters is it? How about turning off the internet during election campaigns altogether? On Monday night it was the wrong sort of questions from the media.

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It’s all about Thursday (No I’ve no idea why there is some computer voice reading Dana’s or the supporters words out either)

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Claire sent me this and asked me why I had not posted some of Michael D’s poetry during this campaign. My apologies.

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PS thanks for the emails and feedback on the diary – anything else for the non moratorium online please send it to tipsATmamanpoulet.com

Sean Gallagher’s New National Anthem

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If you can bear another debate Newstalk and Google are working together on a debate today. The livestream will be available from 12 pm – 1.30 pm.

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If you are going to a count on Friday you might need a tag for your tweets. These were developed for this years General Election so may come in useful. I know that there won’t be a lot of tallying going on for the presidential election but I’m sure there will in Dublin West for the bye-election. There will no doubt be a few interested souls in count centres having a look at what unfolds.

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Pupils in a Christian Brothers School in Belfast join many others who can’t vote in this election who have been making videos asking people to vote for Martin McGuinness.

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Since Martin McGuinness does not look likely to win on Friday foreign interest in the presidential election seems to have waned. However the Guardian thinks David Norris is a come back kid and could win.

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Jason O’Mahony’s round up and winners and losers so far.

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More on Sean Gallagher’s visit to the Galway School of Judo last week – about 1min44 in is where it gets Putinesque. Is this where he hurt his back? By the way Sean visited another Judo event over the weekend in City West.

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Meanwhile Michael D gets serenaded in Henry Street, Dublin. It seems to happen quite a lot when he’s out and about. Now did those Tenors just happen to be there? On the Northside doing their shopping were they?

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Worldbystorm is thinking about the Dublin West Bye-election. I’m glad someone is.

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Hoorah! The Journal found someone who is not a member of FF/FG/Lab/SF to write something in favour of the Oireachtas Inquiry Referendum

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A special issue of the Irish Law Times has been published on the Judicial Pay referenda. The forward can be read here and an electronic copy of the full edition is available.

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Sent last night from a ladies somewhere in Ireland to the Mary Davis Campaign.

Mary Davis

Michael D Higgins

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Conor Hunt likes fonts. A lot. Here he is on Presidential Election fonts.
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All sorted for Halloween? The David Norris campaign office have the last of the pumpkins by artist Mark McNamara.

There is an informal run for Norris in Boston this weekend.
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Brian Bolger an Erasmus student in Sweden blogs about the election for the Lund Association of Foreign Affairs.

(PS there are foreign journalists very interested in this shenanigans, they are coming over to visit… Put a Eurovision winner, a dragon and a former IRA man in an election and the world takes notice, possibly not for the right reasons!)

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Speaking of Foreign journalists Niall O’Dowd, (he who nearly ran himself but must be counting his blessings), writes for the Huffington Post on the soap opera. ‘Dallas at its height would have nothing on this race!’ Umm Niall I think you need to broaden your TV watching or maybe you yourself are planning on coming out of the shower?
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Over at Studentnews.ie Catriona Burns looks at the xfactorisation of the election.
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Martin McGuinness canvassing in Laois earlier this week.

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Political blogger (and Fine Gaeler) Stephen Spillane on why he’s support Mary Davis.

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On the Dublin West Bye-Election, Phoenix FM are hosting a debate with all the candidates tomorrow night (Thursday 20th) from 7.30pm. You can tune in online.
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Datbeardyman writes about the Oireachtas Inquiry Referenda.

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Ballotbox.ie are running a symbolic online vote on the Presidential Election for Irish people living outside of Ireland.

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Never Felt Better is voting no in both referenda.
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Is anyone voting yes??

Andrea Pappin has a post on the Judicial Pay Referendum and will be returning for a go at the Oireachtas Inquiry Referendum.

Fiona de Londras has also written regarding the Judicial Pay Referendum. Both posts have links within to other reading.

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Estelle Feldman, a researcher from the Law Department in TCD has established a website to campaign for a no vote on both referenda.

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The TG4 Presidential Election debate will be shown at 7pm this evening. Hosted by Paidí Ó Lionáird, it’ll be bilingual and if the one during the General Election is anything to go by it should be entertaining.

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Last night on Vincent Browne, FF Senator Thomas Byrne said he’d never had a conversation with Sean Gallagher. Watch this and decide for yourselves if it were possible for him as chair of Ogra FF not to have spoken to Sean (who loves Ogra). PS Labour Party types find something else to send me re someone other than Sean or head out and canvass for your own candidate!

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Speaking of Sean (yes I must) the quest to indicate his physical stamina and virility continues. Skipping, sean nos and yesterday JUDO!  (Fifth one in with a black belt and the suit trousers.)

Of course this means if elected that Russian/Irish relations would be improved no end with Putin/Gallagher bouts agreeing beef deals and the like.

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David Norris’s speech outside Leinster House yesterday – he seems surprised by the crowd – well if you will tweet about special announcements this is what one gets.  Pity he didn’t match the tweet with some substance.

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Human Resources bloggers are getting in on the action.  Darren Connolly from Morgan McKinley is writing about the selection process but seems to have forgotten Dana Rosemary Scallon.

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Helen Carroll is blogging about posters and their use in beehives.

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TellUsWhy.ie ,  who describe themselves as a  non-partisan, non-profit campaign to provide relevant, comparable and objective information to the Irish Electorate has been asking questions of the candidates and are publishing one set of answers daily.    The text heavy format in different fonts and sizes is difficult and it may help if all the answers were published at once.

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To add to last weeks skipping in a school playground, Sean Gallagher is now adding Sean Nós dancing to his range of activities to indicate that he’s younger than Michael D. Higgins.

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If you are confused about who Mary Davis is her campaign team is helping out. Election.ie has more on this new tactic.

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Dotski has a look at the latest opinion poll.

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On Saturday there was a luvvies for Michael D event.

No I don’t know why Nessa Childers is in the picture with Tudors costume designer Joan Bergin or producer Morgan O’Sullivan. Answer on a postcard… sorry I mean the comments.  More photos are available here.

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Gay Mitchell headed for Dun Laoghaire yesterday and was joined by former opponent Pat Cox and Mary Mitchell O’Connor TD.

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RTE Radio 1′s Late Debate have their profiles of all the presidential candidates online if you have missed them.

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Irish Deaf News explain the issues behind the referendums.  No sprinkles or menus here just information which seems sadly lacking elsewhere.

First up today’s REDC opinion poll leader Sean Gallagher. His presidential election broadcast.

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Brendan Strong blogs his opinions on the candidates.

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The Gay Mitchell Story – according to Johnny Doyle!

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Channel 4 News have been over for a visit. Carl Dinnen’s report on the campaign.

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I previously mentioned the Youth Forum organised by SpunOut.ie which took place yesterday. Five candidates attended and it turned out to be a most lively event. I do have doubts about all these forums and their value and I am sure that candidates are exhausted with them. More on the issue anon. The forum is very much worth the watch though, a few digs thrown. McGuinness seems tired and fed up, Norris is as loud as ever, Higgins was whipping up a storm, Gallagher still does not know what he thinks about childrens rights in same sex families. The questions were fairly direct including two to Mary Davis about her opinions on airbrushing of images and their impact on young women and body image. There seemed to be amazing energy in the room.

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Cork Feminista on why we need a Pro-Choice President.

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James G. Cussen ponders Dana as President (not likely) and the limits of the presidential powers.

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Campaign Music/Homage! From The Irish Scaramouche

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Has anyone seen Gerry Adams?

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Flor McCarthy has a look at the lack of debate on the referenda

I would be very happy to accept guest posts on the referenda from either side or neither! Email tips @ mamanpoulet.com
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Astrologically speaking it appears Michael D. Higgins will be the next president. Yup we have astrology folks – it is the weekend edition!

Michael D. Higgins’ Solar Lunar Return (Scorpio 2.58) is cazimi and since the Moon as lunar return is Michael D. himself (Lunar Return Moon is an intensification of the self) as well as taking its meaning from its source, the Solar Return where it is lord 1 (Michael D. himself), it is emphatically clear that the raising up (cazimi) belongs to Michael D. Note lord 7, Jupiter perfects by mutual application its tight opposition with the Sun.

So now you know!

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A final nod to Sean Gallagher, well to DTFinn, animator!